AI model comparison
GLM 5.1 vs GLM 5 Turbo
Pricing, context window, benchmarks, and features compared side by side. Or skip the guesswork and send one prompt to both.
Z.ai
GLM 5.1
GLM-5.1 delivers a major leap in coding capability, with particularly significant gains in handling long-horizon tasks.
- Input / 1M
- $0.97
- Output / 1M
- $3.04
- Context
- 205K
Z.ai
GLM 5 Turbo
GLM-5 Turbo is a new model from Z.ai designed for fast inference and strong performance in agent-driven environments such as OpenClaw scenarios.
- Input / 1M
- $1.20
- Output / 1M
- $4
- Context
- 203K
At a glance
Quick verdict
How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.
Lower price
GLM 5.1
1.3x cheaper for a typical chat
Higher intelligence score
GLM 5 Turbo
26.6 vs 26.1 on Artificial Analysis
Larger context window
GLM 5.1
205K vs 203K tokens
Newer release
GLM 5.1
Released April 7, 2026
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores
Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.
Intelligence index
Coding index
Agentic index
Pricing
GLM 5.1 vs GLM 5 Turbo API pricing
Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Input tokensPer 1M tokens | $0.97 | $1.20 |
| Output tokensPer 1M tokens | $3.04 | $4 |
| Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens | $0.18 | $0.24 |
| Cache writePer 1M tokens | Not available | Not available |
What it costs in practice
Estimated cost per 1,000 requests at standard rates. Coding and long-document figures also show the cost when the input is already cached.
Chat message
2K in, 500 out
Coding task
30K in, 4K out
Long document summary
150K in, 2K out
Specs
Context window and capabilities
How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 205K tokens | 203K tokens |
| Max output | 128K tokens | 131K tokens |
| Input types | Text | Text |
| Output types | Text | Text |
| Reasoning effort levels | Not available | Not available |
| Default reasoning effort | Not available | Not available |
| Release date | April 7, 2026 | March 15, 2026 |
Features
Supported features
API features available for each model.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tool calling | Supported | Supported |
| Structured outputs | Supported | Not supported |
| JSON mode | Supported | Supported |
| Reasoning | Supported | Supported |
| Temperature | Supported | Supported |
| Stop sequences | Supported | Not supported |
| Deterministic seed | Supported | Not supported |
| Verbosity control | Not supported | Not supported |
Keep exploring
More on these models
Other head-to-heads, the full model page, and the alternatives list for each model.
Our take
GLM 5.1 is 1.3x cheaper for a typical chat. GLM 5 Turbo scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (26.6 vs 26.1). GLM 5.1 has the larger context window (205K vs 203K tokens). The right pick depends on your workload, so the quickest way to settle it is to send the same prompt to both and compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is GLM 5.1 or GLM 5 Turbo cheaper?
GLM 5.1 is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). GLM 5.1 costs $0.97 per 1M input tokens and $3.04 per 1M output tokens, while GLM 5 Turbo costs $1.20 per 1M input tokens and $4 per 1M output tokens.
Which has a bigger context window, GLM 5.1 or GLM 5 Turbo?
GLM 5.1 supports up to 205K tokens of context, compared with 203K for GLM 5 Turbo.
Is GLM 5.1 smarter than GLM 5 Turbo?
On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GLM 5.1 scores 26.1 and GLM 5 Turbo scores 26.6, putting GLM 5 Turbo ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.
Can I use GLM 5.1 and GLM 5 Turbo at the same time?
Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GLM 5.1 and GLM 5 Turbo answer side by side and keep the better response.
Why choose? Ask both.
Send one prompt to GLM 5.1 and GLM 5 Turbo at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.